Navy Day in Mexico

Known as Dia de la Marina, Navy Day
is celebrated on June 1 each year in Mexico. It is a national holiday so it is
celebrated in ports throughout the entire country. The day is meant to
recognize the country's naval forces. The day is celebrated with festivals,
parades, and fireworks. There may even be fishing tournaments and sailing
competitions.

Mexico's history has shown the importance of being able to patrol
and defend her coastlines in order to prevent invasions. Many such conflicts
have occurred in Mexico's past. Along with defense, there is a need to develop
and take advantage of the oceans in a rational and organized manner. For
Mexico, its seas are a great source of bounty and employment. Because of these
reasons, the history of the Mexican National Navy runs parallel to the birth of
Mexico as a nation.

The Military Naval school of Mexico was created in 1897, during
the regime of Porfirio Diaz. But because of its maritime inexperience, Mexico's
navy had many foreign officials, much to the irritation of nationalists. The
country took its first step toward maritime solidarity on June 1, 1917, by
nationalizing the navy. On that date the merchant shipTabascosailed
from the port of Veracruz under the command of Captain Rafael Izaguirre
Castañares, with a totally Mexican crew. This was the birth ofDia
de la Marina(Navy
Day) .

The voyage of theTobascowas a symbolic ratification of the
recent Article 32 of the Magna Carta of 1917, which insured national loyalty by
declaring that no matter how invaluable an individual's contribution to the
navy might be, if he was not born in Mexico, he could not serve in the navy.

On December 30, 1939 President Lazaro Cardenas reorganized his
cabinet and formed the Department of the Navy. However just one year later, on
December 31, 1940, it was converted to its present status as Secretary of the
Navy.

Official recognition of Dia de la Marina was by a presidential
agreement published in the official gazette of Mexico, April 30, 1942.